How Do I Deal with Insurance After a Pedestrian Accident in Denver?

TL;DR: Limit initial contact to basic facts only, never give recorded statements to the at-fault driver’s insurer, document all adjuster tactics, and hire a lawyer before negotiating settlements to protect yourself from insurance company strategies designed to minimize payouts.

Getting hit by a car as a pedestrian turns your life upside down. You’re dealing with injuries, medical bills, and lost wages. Then the insurance calls start—friendly voices offering help, asking questions, requesting statements.

Here’s what you need to know: that friendly adjuster’s job is to pay you as little as possible. Every question, every request, every “just trying to help” conversation is designed to reduce what the pedestrian accident insurance company owes you.

Let me walk you through how to protect yourself from the moment that first call comes in.

What Should You Do When the Insurance Company First Contacts You?

The First Call Comes Fast

Insurance adjusters often call within 24 to 48 hours after your pedestrian accident—before you’ve seen a doctor or understood your injuries. They sound friendly and helpful, but their job is to minimize what the insurance company pays, not to protect your interests.

The insurance adjuster pedestrian accident contact will ask how you’re feeling, what happened, and whether you need anything. These questions aren’t innocent small talk. They’re gathering information to use against your claim later.

Let me tell you: that first conversation sets the tone for your entire claim. Mistakes here can cost you thousands in compensation. Understanding how insurance adjusters operate and what tactics they use prepares you for these initial contact strategies.

Should You Give a Recorded Statement to the Insurance Adjuster?

Why Adjusters Want Your Statement

Insurance companies use recorded statements to lock you into a version of events before you fully understand what happened or how badly you’re hurt. They ask leading questions designed to get you to downplay injuries, accept partial blame, or contradict yourself.

Example: “You were able to walk after the accident, correct?” This implies your injuries aren’t serious, even if you later discover fractures or internal damage. Your recorded “yes” becomes ammunition against your claim.

Your Right to Decline

You have no legal obligation to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. This is one of the most important facts about avoiding recorded statements that people don’t know.

You may need to cooperate with your own insurance company if it’s required by your policy, but even then, you can request time to consult a lawyer first. Politely decline by saying: “I need to speak with a lawyer before providing a recorded statement.”

Avoiding recorded statements protects you from having your words twisted or taken out of context during settlement negotiations. Focus on building your case with proper documentation instead of rushed statements.

What Common Tactics Do Insurance Adjusters Use?

The Quick Settlement Offer

Adjusters often make fast, lowball offers before you’ve finished treatment—sometimes within days of your pedestrian accident. These offers sound generous when you’re worried about medical bills, but they’re designed to close your claim before the full extent of injuries becomes clear.

Once you accept and sign a release, you can’t come back for more money—even if you discover serious complications later.

Requesting Unnecessary Documentation

Adjusters may request years of medical records, employment files, or tax returns that have nothing to do with your accident. They’re looking for pre-existing conditions or other information to argue your injuries existed before the accident.

You’re only required to provide records directly related to your pedestrian accident injuries. Don’t give them ammunition to devalue your claim.

Delaying Tactics

When adjusters can’t get you to accept a low offer, they often switch to delay tactics. They request the same documents multiple times, claim they “never received” paperwork, or go silent for weeks.

These delays are calculated: they hope financial pressure will force you to accept less just to get something. One of the worst things I see is people accepting inadequate settlements because they can’t afford to wait.

Shifting Blame

Adjusters will search for any way to blame you for the pedestrian accident—claiming you were distracted or wearing dark clothing. Colorado’s comparative negligence rules mean your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, so adjusters have strong incentive to inflate your share of blame.

Understanding Colorado’s pedestrian right-of-way laws helps you counter these blame-shifting tactics with facts about who actually violated traffic laws.

What Types of Insurance Coverage Apply to Pedestrian Accidents?

The At-Fault Driver’s Liability Insurance

This is the primary source of compensation—the driver who hit you should have liability coverage that pays for injuries they cause. Colorado requires minimum coverage, but many drivers carry only the bare minimum, which may not cover severe injuries.

Your Own Auto Insurance

Even though you weren’t driving, your auto insurance may provide coverage through uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) protection. If the driver lacked insurance or didn’t have enough to cover your damages, your UIM coverage fills the gap.

Learn more about all types of pedestrian accident insurance coverage in Colorado to identify every potential source of compensation.

Medical Payments Coverage

Your own auto or health insurance may cover immediate medical bills through MedPay provisions, regardless of who was at fault. This coverage helps you get treatment quickly without waiting for liability determinations.

Understanding who pays medical bills after a pedestrian accident prevents gaps in treatment while insurance companies argue over responsibility.

How Do You Evaluate a Settlement Offer?

What Fair Compensation Includes

Settlement evaluation starts with understanding what you’re entitled to recover. Medical expenses include past treatment, current care, and future medical needs related to your pedestrian accident.

Lost wages cover time missed from work during recovery, including reduced hours or lost earning capacity. Pain and suffering account for physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life. Property damage includes damaged clothing, phone, or other belongings.

Red Flags in Settlement Offers

Watch for offers that only cover current medical bills without accounting for future treatment or lost wages. Pressure to accept “before the offer expires” signals manipulation—legitimate offers don’t have arbitrary deadlines.

Releases that waive your right to pursue additional claims if complications arise should raise alarms. Settlements that don’t account for the full scope of injuries documented by your doctors undervalue your claim.

Compare your offer to typical pedestrian accident settlement amounts in Colorado to gauge whether the insurance company is being reasonable or lowballing you.

What Is Insurance Bad Faith and How Do You Spot It?

Bad faith occurs when an insurance company unreasonably denies, delays, or undervalues your legitimate claim. Examples include refusing to investigate your claim, denying coverage without proper explanation, or failing to respond to communications.

Colorado law requires insurers to handle claims fairly and in good faith—violations can result in penalties beyond your original claim value. Signs of bad faith include repeatedly requesting the same documents, refusing to explain denial reasons, ignoring medical evidence, or making offers far below similar cases.

If you suspect bad faith, document everything. Save emails, record call dates and times, and note who you spoke with and what was said.

Let me tell you: insurance companies count on people not knowing their rights. Bad faith claims can hold insurers accountable and recover damages beyond your original pedestrian accident claim.

When Should You Hire a Lawyer to Deal with Insurance?

Before You Give Any Detailed Statements

The ideal time to contact a lawyer is immediately after your pedestrian accident, before insurance adjusters start pressuring you for information. We can handle all initial contact strategies, protecting you from common mistakes that weaken claims.

Recognize the signs you need legal representation before it’s too late to fix adjuster-induced damage.

When Injuries Are Severe

Serious injuries—broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage—require legal expertise to ensure full compensation. The stakes are too high to navigate complex medical documentation and insurance negotiations alone.

When the Insurer Acts in Bad Faith

If the insurance company denies your claim without proper justification, delays unreasonably, or makes offers that don’t match your documented injuries, you need a lawyer. We can file bad faith claims and pursue additional damages beyond your original claim.

When Fault Is Disputed

If the insurance adjuster claims you caused or contributed to the pedestrian accident, legal representation becomes crucial. We investigate thoroughly, gather witness statements, and build evidence showing the driver’s negligence.

Understanding your rights based on where the collision occurred helps you evaluate your case.

What Steps Protect Your Insurance Claim?

Document Everything Immediately

Take photos at the accident scene: the vehicle, your injuries, traffic conditions, crosswalks, and any visible damage. Get the driver’s insurance information, license plate, and contact details.

Collect witness names and phone numbers—their statements can counter insurer blame-shifting. Follow the complete post-accident checklist to preserve crucial evidence.

Seek Medical Care Before Talking to Adjusters

Go to the ER or urgent care immediately, even if you feel fine. Some injuries take hours or days to appear. Medical records create an undeniable link between the accident and your injuries.

Delaying treatment gives insurers ammunition to argue your injuries weren’t serious or weren’t caused by the pedestrian accident.

Keep Detailed Records

Save all medical bills, prescriptions, and treatment plans. Document lost wages with pay stubs and employer letters. Keep a journal describing pain levels, treatment progress, and how injuries affect daily life.

This documentation counters insurance company attempts to minimize your damages.

How Does Location Affect Your Insurance Claim?

Pedestrian accidents at dangerous intersections may involve additional liable parties, like the city if poor signage or lighting contributed to the crash. Check Denver’s most dangerous pedestrian locations to understand location-specific risks.

Crosswalk accidents typically strengthen your claim since pedestrians have right-of-way. School zone accidents often involve heightened duty of care from drivers, which affects liability arguments.

Parking lot accidents may involve business property owners in addition to drivers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to talk to the other driver’s insurance company?

No, you’re not legally required to speak with the at-fault driver’s insurer. Direct them to your lawyer or decline statements until you’re ready.

Can the insurance company access my medical records without permission?

No, insurers cannot access medical records without your written authorization. Only provide records directly related to your pedestrian accident injuries, not your entire medical history.

How long does the insurance company have to settle my claim?

Colorado doesn’t set specific settlement timelines, but insurers must acknowledge claims promptly and investigate reasonably. Most pedestrian accident claims resolve within several months to a year.

What if the driver who hit me doesn’t have insurance?

File a claim with your own uninsured motorist coverage if you have it. If not, consult a lawyer about other recovery options.

Can I negotiate with the insurance company myself?

Yes, but insurance adjusters are trained negotiators who use tactics to minimize payouts. Most people recover more with legal representation than negotiating alone.

What happens if I already gave a recorded statement?

A recorded statement can complicate your claim but doesn’t automatically destroy it. Contact a lawyer immediately to discuss damage control and next steps.

Will hiring a lawyer make the insurance company treat me worse?

No, insurers typically take claims more seriously when lawyers are involved. They know you understand your rights and won’t accept unfair offers.

Let Us Handle the Insurance Company

Dealing with insurance companies after a pedestrian accident means facing trained professionals whose job is to pay you as little as possible. They’ll use every tactic—quick settlements, recorded statements, blame-shifting, delay tactics—to reduce their payout.

You don’t have to face them alone. Our pedestrian accident legal team has handled hundreds of insurance negotiations and knows every trick adjusters use.

Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll handle all insurance communications while you focus on recovery. Don’t let insurance companies take advantage of you when you’re most vulnerable.